Obama continues to lead from behind

John F. Kennedy said in his inaugural address, "We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the success and survival of liberty." Ronald Reagan said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." As for Barack Obama, we are leading from behind. How has that worked out in Libya, Syria, Iran, Egypt and now the Ukraine, where Russia is mobilizing for an incursion into a sovereign nation?

Mr. Obama has issued a stern warning to Mr. Putin that there will be costs for any intervention in the Ukraine. I'm sure Mr. Putin is trembling in fear. It's like Pee-wee Herman warning Hulk Hogan.

Now we know what Mr. Obama meant when he told then-Russian President Medvedev off mic to let Vladimir know he would have more flexibility after he was re-elected. Flexibility apparently to let Putin use our president as his personal pinata. In 2009 at Putin's behest, Mr. Obama very quickly rescinded our missile shield agreement with Poland and the Czech Republic, and got zero in return from Putin. But we did begin to establish a reputation among our allies that we could not be trusted, a reputation that Mr. Obama continues to enhance.

With Putin's blessing, Iran continues its march to nuclear weapons, Russian ships are in Cuba for the first time in years, the Middle East and Africa are embroiled in violence, al-Qaida continues to call and work toward our destruction, and Mr. Obama and his clueless Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announce that our military must be cut.

Am I wrong, or is this pure idiocy? Again, Ronald Reagan: "Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong." It's a statement with which Mr. Obama would disagree.

Jim Osterhout

Palatine